Sony just revealed the next addition to the growing Horizon franchise and the new project is not a third installment in the mainline story. Now that the Horizon Hunters Gathering is approaching a period of playtesting, fans of single-player narrative campaigns may be wondering what this means for Aloy’s next adventure.
What is Horizon Hunters Gathering?
For those who may have missed the big reveal, Sony recently announced a new title from Guerrilla Games called Horizon Hunters Gathering.
Hunters Gathering is a cooperative action game (developed for PS5 and PC) that lets up to three players team up as heroic Hunters to protect a world under threat from deadly machines. Combat is tactical, reactive, and deeply skill-based, building on the tactical precision of the Horizon games while embracing the dynamics of team play.
“In Horizon Hunters Gathering, you choose from a roster of uniquely skilled Hunters – each with distinct melee or ranged playstyles and weapons – and select Hunter roles further embedded with a rogue-lite perk system to craft the build that best suits your style and your team.”
In an interesting twist, Sony also confirmed that the events that take place in Hunters Gathering are fully canon and that the story doesn’t stop at launch. This game is likely going to explore a corner of the Horizon universe that is different from Aloy’s adventures, but fans are likely quite curious how the stories will overlap.
Some lucky players can get their hands on the new game soon in an upcoming closed playtest through the PlayStation Beta Program on PS5 and PC.
Has Horizon 3 been confirmed yet?
At this point, Sony and Guerrilla Games have not officially revealed Horizon 3 or confirmed a title for the project yet. Without getting into spoiler territory, it’s safe to say that the end of Forbidden West definitely set up more story to tell before Aloy’s adventures can come to a close.
The closest to a full confirmation came back in 2023 when Guerrilla Games teased that, “We have full confidence in our new leadership as they steer Guerrilla towards a bright future, expanding the world of Horizon with Aloy’s next adventure and our exciting online project.”
Rumors and inside leaks suggest that there is work being done on Horizon 3, but that the majority of the team at Guerrilla are focused on Horizon Hunters Gathering at this point.
In response to the Hunters Gathering reveal last week, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier explained that he belives “most of the studio is on this [Hunters Gathering].” If that’s the case, then the third installment in Aloy’s main adventure is likely still a handful of years away and the game could end up being part of the PlayStation 6 era.
If Horizon 3 does end up being a PS6 era launch title, it will be very exciting to see how the power of a next-gen console could enhance or change the Horizon visuals, mechanics, and gameplay.
What are all the games in the Horizon universe so far?
- Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) – Zero Dawn is the original Aloy adventure that kicked off the Horizon franchise in 2017. The title was a huge hit for Sony, but was largely overshadowed during awards season due to Breath of the Wild sweeping many categories.
- Horizon Forbidden West (2022) – The direct sequel to Zero Dawn continued Aloy’s story, expanded the world to the Pacific Coast, and introduced the Zeniths.
- Horizon Call of the Mountain (2023 VR spin-off) – This VR-exclusive campaign was the franchise’s first attempt to move away from Aloy as the main protagonist.
- LEGO Horizon Adventures (2024 LEGO spin-off) – The LEGO spin-off was met with mixed-reviews. This adventure seemed to be aimed at a younger audience, but it did not follow the usual gameplay loop and mechanics found in the more popular TT Games take on LEGO adaptations.
- Horizon Hunters Gathering (multiplayer spin-off) – This will be the first multi-player, live service branch of the Horizon franchise when it arrives.
- Horizon 3 (in development) – Although it has not officially been revealed yet, many fans believe that Aloy’s story will come to a close with a final installment sometime in the next few years.
At this point, that is everything we know about Horizon Hunters Gathering and the future of the Horizon franchise. Hopefully players will get more details and a full reveal of Horizon 3 sometime closer to when the next console generation is ready to arrive.
Horizon Hunters Gathering has not confirmed a release date yet. The third installment in the main Horizon series has not been officially revealed yet.
The post What Does The Horizon Hunters Gathering Reveal Mean for Horizon 3? appeared first on VICE.
